Heavenfall

The Nezumi sniffed up the ink. It was somewhat pleasant, like if a human teen wanted to inhale the fumes, they might do so. "You scribble-draw things that tell-tell man-things stories? Like speak-speak on... paper."

"That's exactly right." Chisei said, nodding. "The different characters mean different things." One hand came up, pointing at a part of it. "This is my wife's name; this is a journal of a trip I was on with her." Did the Nezumi know what a wife was? He would find out, Chisei supposed.

"Can you do the same with the sticks, and smells? Or is it just to inspire memories?" Chisei asked.

"Wife-wife," the Nezumi repeated. He mulled over it and then nodded in satisfaction. "This is man-thing's most recent mate."

Ik'tch'krit shrugged and offered it to the human. He did not expect much but it seemed amusing enough to share it. "They do not mean word-words. You are right-right in second question."

"Ye-wait, no." Chisei said, waving a hand. "Only mate. Marriage is for life with humans. I gather it is different with Nezumi?"

Accepting the stick with a a bemused look, Chisei raised it to his face, sniffing carefully. "Nothing." He said, chuckling, handing it back. "A little bit of wood, a little bit something else, but I can't identify it. I wonder if a human could learn, though, or if it requires Nezumi physiology?"

"Mate-mate time is competition among Nezumi," Ik'tch'krit mentioned, "But I see-see. Man-thing is like Togashi to Saruko or Nanzi to Doji." He then furrowed his brow. "Unless the man-things but fake-fake intend on taking multiple mates. They are not really-real man-things."

Ik'tch'krit snickered at the human's suggestion that he could learn it. "Man-things have bad-bad smell! Not possible."

"What fake man-things?" Chisei cleared his throat. "Otherwise, that's right. Like that."

"Maybe." Chisei said, amused. "But maybe we just need to develop the skill. Have you ever tried to show a human how to use the smell-sticks?"

"Like Hida! He is not really-real man-thing."

Ik'tch'krit smelled his memory stick again. "Man-thing got me thinking to try-try. Much to find out, experiments to do!" He nodded. "Only way to improve man-thing and Nezumi society both, yes-yes."

"Oh, the Kami." Chisei frowned. "So far as I know, they only intend to have one spouse. Although if they live for a long time..." Chisei's frown deepened.

Well, it was not something for him to be concerned about it. "Oh?" Chisei said, amused. "You do experiments? What sort of experiments?"

"They should take-take multiple spouses for more young," Ik'tch'krit commented, "If not now-now due to weird man-thing ways, then after first mate die-dies."

The Nezumi's eyes brightened. "Yes-yes! Most recent experiment is weapons! Many enemies to defeat, many that are big-big!" He waved his hands to quell his excitement. "Like big-big bow to kill-slay ogre!"

"Perhaps." Chisei said, frowning, his forehead creasing noticeably. "But, Fortunes willing, that is a long way off."

"Weapons?" Blinking, Chisei took a small back from the excited Nezumi. "Just how big of a bow do you mean?"

"Is only in here-here," the Nezumi admitted, pointing to his brain, "Need much to make-make that I do not have-have."

"Oh?" Chisei said. "As in, you need other parts to make the parts that you need?" He frowned. "Is this something you'd like to work on with someone else, perhaps?" It would be interesting, to work with a giant rat.

"Yes-yes! Need stuff to make more stuff!" The Nezumi scratched his chin at the human's suggestion. After some long deliberation, he nodded. "Yes-yes, man-thing can help-aid me-me!"

"Very well. Hmmm..." Chisei frowned, considering. "Perhaps you could draw a sketch for me? Something simple to start. A stick in the dirt might be sufficient. Enough to convey the idea of... what you're talking about." Chisei was certainly curious about what that was...

"Shall we-we go outside and draw-draw this?" he suggested. He looked to his tail and frowned; having a prehensile one would have been useful indeed!